What do you think? Would that ever happen? Hope I got your attention with the absurdity of that headline! At our home, we do get cold calls from contractors, but I would never recommend this strategy.

Alternatively, there are 2 marketing approaches that work great for contractors.

First are Keep in Touch strategies I’ll call Referral Marketing.

When you build trust and relationships with the people and clients you know, the result is referrals.

This approach includes building relationships with architects.

I’m not suggesting you do everything listed below. Rather, I’m listing the kinds of marketing that work for the residential contracting industry. Start with one strategy at a time and do it for a few months before adding another.

These barely existed 5 years ago. These will work better for established and successful residential contractors who have an abundance of top notch photos and lots of testimonials. With this approach you are attracting new business from prospects who don’t know you at all.

You can try cold calling, but’s it brutal and you won’t have much success. Hiring a contractor is a lot like hiring a financial advisor. For most people their home is their biggest investments. They want to work with someone they know, like and trust, not some dude who calls out of the blue.

Karen Nierlich is co-owner and web marketing consultant at Full Orbit Web and Marketing Services. Call her at 510-527-9920, if you wish to discuss a website or marketing for your high end residential contractor business. You’ll also find several one page articles about marketing for general contractors in this blog. Take a look around.

Thanks to my work building websites for high end home builders, I often get to talk to generals about marketing: what works for them and what confuses them.

As any contractor can tell you, the industry operates on word-of mouth-referrals. After all, building a house is one of the biggest financial decisions people make. Wouldn’t you prefer to have a personal referral from someone you trust?

That doesn’t mean builders just wait for referrals to come to them. On the contrary, there are several strategies that will help you build your referral network.

1. Modern Website – See previous blog post about important features for your general contractors website. You want your site to look as sharp and photo rich as Houzz, as that’s the current standard! A stellar website saves you time in the sales process and helps you close more referrals. Prospects are judging you by your website!

2. Outreach to Architects – If your focus is larger new home construction, then most of those projects start with an architect. Thus keeping in touch with architects you’ve worked with in the past and starting new relationships with architects will help attract larger projects.

3. Houzz Profile – Homeowners are devouring Houzz for building and decor ideas. Here we diverge a bit from the word-of-mouth rule. Some contractors are closing new projects based on their Houzz portfolio and recommendations! Many homeowners are checking out builders on Houzz when considering them for a project.

Two other items to complete your online marketing:

4. Google + profile – I recommend every business claim their Google + listing. This profile is free and makes you show up on Google Maps. Setting this up is necessary to looking “with-it” when people search for you online. Skipping this step will make you look like a dinosaur.

5. LinkedIn profile – This step is also important to your online web presence. LinkedIn is the social media site for business people and executive types. Have a profile there, so if someone looks you up, they can find you. Simply part of having a complete up-to-date online presence.

Other marketing to consider:

Email Newsletter or print newsletter – Excellent way to keep in touch with those who know you and past clients. Send some pictures of your latest completed project or a cool idea from Houzz. Easy, low cost way to let your past clients know you are thriving in business.

Postcards to Targeted Areas – Looking to spur business growth? Send professional postcards with photos of your last project. Buy a list of mailing addresses for the neighborhood you most want to work in or blocks surrounding the home where you are working in currently.

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Visit my online portfolio to see our website work for general contractors. Or follow me on Houzz. I’d be happy to talk to you about your website or marketing your high end home construction business. I’m Karen Nierlich and I’m reachable at 510-527-9920 PAC.